Matt, I'm not done with it, but I couldn't buy into the premise for a minute, so I never got into it. I laughed at all the appropriate parts because the cast is pretty good (although JR remains the weak link for me), but it was just too too.

JR/Ted = DS/Ross imo. By far the most irritating characters on their shows, baffling to me as to how they get so much attention.

I had a whole bit on how I bought into part of it, but not all of it, but then I read what I typed and realized I don't buy into it. I do think Barney is completely ridiculous enough to hire a fake wife and son, and his ridiculous asshat behavior with women is far more upsetting to me than this particular storyline, but the biggest question for me is why would he want to hire a fake family in the first place? Barney's mom "whored" around and didn't take gruff from her kids when they were little in the 2 episodes we heard but not saw her, yet 10 years ago apparently she's so sick and rueful her boys didn't turn out the way she hoped (I guess his brother having a family didn't count) Barney needs to fake a family before she dies, then only 3 years ago she was as tough as nails enough to do some sort of insider trading or whatnot that Barney alluded to in the episode where Lily moves in, but she's still alive this year not acting feisty at all and feels like Mary Sue mom. I don't buy it.

Summer Glau is going to be on the Big Bang Theory playing herself tonight, and it sounds like it is going to be worth watching. It's on right before HIMYM, if you don't normally watch it.

Office:

Shoe-La-La?

The Kevin-Lynn story is shaping up to be sweeter than I expected from any story line involving Kevin.

Words fail me on the A story. Other than, why am I not surprised Michael is a fan of Willy Wonka (for all the wrong reasons)?

The Kevin-Lynn story is shaping up to be sweeter than I expected from any story line involving Kevin.

Right? I didn't expect it to go that way when she came on the scene.

Shoe-La-La?

I have a friend who is a little obsessed with Man shoes and the occasions on which you must wear Man shoes so this KILLED me.

Re: HIMYM

I had been been so aboard the Barney/Robin train, I'd completely forgetten I liked Robin and Ted together. Sigh. That was a sweet episode.

I agree, Cindy. I liked Robin and Ted together too, but I really respected their mature break-up (stealthily engineered by Lily as it was), so I don't actually want them to get back together only to break up again, as they'll have to.

Very good episode. (Although Lily did reaffirm herself as my least favorite character. What the hell.)

I hate Robin and Ted together, mostly because future Ted has referred to her as Aunt Robin, so it just seems like a waste of time to like them together. I like Robin and Barney much better. I loved all the stuff happening with Robin on the tv in the background! The Lily thing was stupid, and they're not really even trying very hard to hide her pregnancy anymore.

Ooh, I just hit play on last night's Colbert Report, and Neil Gaiman is the guest!

In all fairness, I think that I'd be as put off by the suitjamas as the nightshirt.